Classic to floor -- if you could do things differently....?

[akurah]

Stay on top of lint. I've got a lot of lint damage right now that I'm trying to decide if I should do a trim or not.

[Ylva]

Stay on top of lint. I've got a lot of lint damage right now that I'm trying to decide if I should do a trim or not.

Could you tell more about that, please? What's lint damage?

[AmaryllisRed]

Ooh, this is a good thread, dagny!

Very interesting responses so far.

[Simsy]

If I could do things differently...I would start earlier. If I had known how much easier and more fun my hair would be at waist and beyond; I wouldn’t have cut bsl back to collarbone in high school. I would have also started looking for curl-specific information at the beginning of high school rather than sometime in my early 20s. I might have been able to grow a bit longer during high school if I had a better idea of what I was starting with and how to handle it.

[dagny]

lapushka

Wow -- Great tip! I will definitely keep my eye out for problems like this as I get longer! I have already started to get into the habit of washing my hair how I would were my hair much longer (no more piling it all on top of my head, etc).

Zesty

Awesome! I have been trying to make a new habit of wearing my hair up, now that I am officially at 'hip' length. And I learned the scalp thing this past summer, after spending two years with a miserable scalp due to extending washings! I had debated about doing the No Trim thing, but I go back and forth about regular trims or not -- so you have given me lots to consider!

meteor

I am trying to figure out how to do other braids than the English and French, so I appreciate you advocating this as well -- especially since longer hair is much more difficult to style if one is not used to it. Do you like the scalp-only washes just because of the time-saving aspect, or do you think it is less harsh on the length? I know that some people with extreme lengths wash the entire length with shampoo each time, but I was wondering if some felt this was too much and too damaging to the length?

Haven
I am taking notes as well!! :-)

littlestarface
See, I was wondering if fairytale ends would be a mistake for my hair as well! They look so gorgeous, but I am concerned that my ends will look thin and ratty because my hair is not especially thick. So, the question always arises: should I get to the desired length and then maintain with regular trims OR should I do regular trimming as I grow to my desired length? I appreciate your input on this long-standing dilemma!

MusicalSpoons; Oh, Gosh! I need to get rid of hair elastics!! Are you talking about the little rubber-band types or the no-pull thicker ones (that Scuncii makes in different hair colors and are almost cloth covered)? And, it sounds like regular trims is something I really need to consider!


sophia
Another vote, it seems, for regular trimming for those of us with fine hair! It makes sense, actually, due to it being more fragile than courser hair. So THANK you for helping me make up my mind about this issue! I also appreciate the tip on putting the front parts up separately to avoid hair loss. I don't look good with my hair pulled back tightly, so I always try and have some sort of twist or "pouff" or something to make the front softer --- but I still need to think about these things! And, I've got Dutch Braids and all of the fancy hairstyles I like on my "to learn" list!! :-)


HaMalka
Thank you for your advice! I have recently purchased some hair sticks (TT) and some pretty and safe hair toys and am trying to come up with styles that I can do NOW with them so I can not only enjoy them, but learn how to do these styles for when my hair is longer and more difficult to manage without tangles.
My scalp gets tender as well, so I REALLY appreciate the advice about changing the position of parts more frequently.


sumidha

Good to know -- silk on my shopping list!!
I tend to get splits and knots to the extremely fragile hairs on the hair that is on the bottom (near my neck) and I realized that they will always have splits and never grow as long as the rest of my hair -- so it is nice to let go of that concern of trying to get that hair to be perfect because, you are right, it never will be. Thank you!

[littlestarface]

For me since I have thin ends and they are delicate I would say trim as you go cuz I did the whole neglect and trim while there and it didn't work out for me at all. My ends ended up looking so bad but I prefer thicker looking ends.

Also sticks are a life safer for longer lengths cuz aint no elastic or claw can stand up to years of long hair like a etsy hair stick,ficarre or fork can lol.

[dagny]

akurah

I agree with Yiva, could you please explain what you mean by lint damage? Thanks! :-)

AmaryllisRed
Thanks! :-) I am definitely taking notes!!

Simsy
Oh, how I can relate to your words! I will be 50 this year and I am kicking myself for never growing my hair past my hips before, despite having long hair for the majority of my life. It just never even occurred to me!

[littlestarface]

I think she means when you get lint in your hair and then the hair will knot up around said lint, the very bane of my existence.

[dagny]

For me since I have thin ends and they are delicate I would say trim as you go cuz I did the whole neglect and trim while there and it didn't work out for me at all. My ends ended up looking so bad but I prefer thicker looking ends.

Also sticks are a life safer for longer lengths cuz aint no elastic or claw can stand up to years of long hair like a etsy hair stick,ficarre or fork can lol.

How often do you recommend to trim for delicate hair like ours?

Have you ever had problems with your hair getting stuck in a ficcare? Sometimes mine does and I am not sure why.
Also, sometimes I hear my hair snap when I use a hair stick or fork and I don't know why this is, either. Am I wrapping it too tightly? Am I putting the sticks/fork in correctly? It doesn't happen every time, but when it does I just cringe!

[dagny]

I think she means when you get lint in your hair and then the hair will knot up around said lint, the very bane of my existence.

OH, wow! Thanks! I didn't know this could happen! Is this due to not washing frequently or brushing? Or is it because lint is picked up from the environment due to the hair's length?